Written by The Living Team on 14 January 2012
It seems hybrid power and biofuels aren’t the only options for those looking to travel green. The DIY moped seen here is the work of the intrepid Don Dunklees in Minnesota, who uses it for his daily five-mile commute.
We were a little worried that the scooter’s wing-like solar array might collect the odd passer-by, but apparently the PV cells fold away when the it’s on the go. Once Don’s at work, the panels fold out again and soak up enough sun to charge the battery for the journey home.
If you’re up for a bit of DIY and you like the idea of a moped without the angry wasp noises, you can download instructions here. Don says that the scooter is still going strong in its third year.
Originally posted 2007-06-14 22:41:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Tags: Business, Energy, Minnesota, Moped, Photovoltaic array, Renewable, Solar, Solar cell
Posted in Motorbikes | View Comments
Written by Tamsin Hemingray on 18 May 2011
British engineer Richard Jenkins has become the fastest driver ever to use only the power of the wind – smashing the previous record in the process.
And the all-British Greenbird carbon fibre land yacht needed winds of only 30mph to reach its top speed of 126.1mph, besting previous record holder, American Bob Schumacher by almost 10mph.
The record-breaking run took place at the dried-out bed of Lake Ivanpah on the border between Nevada and California.
Originally the Windjet project, the craft can operate on both dry land and on frozen water – and is designed to break the record on both surfaces.
It was renamed to capture the spirit of the Bluebird – the legendary series of craft headed by Donald Campbell in the 1950s and 60s before his death at more than 300mph on Coniston Water.
The Ecotricity–sponsored Greenbird is billed as being “part aeroplane, part sailboat, part Formula One car” and it used some clever, but relatively simple principles to speed itself to glory.
Power is produced in a similar way to how an aeroplane generates ‘lift’ to climb in the air; using wind moving over the ’sail’, which is essentially a vertical wing.
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Originally posted 2009-04-01 17:32:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Tags: Coniston Water, Donald Campbell, Ecotricity, Energy, Greenbird, Nevada, Renewable, Richard Jenkins
Posted in Cars, Energy | View Comments
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